Sarah Barrell : Travel Writer & Journalist

Stranded

2010-04-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

So, I’m stuck in India. It’s 5am and I’ve been awake on and off for hours. This time it’s not due to monkeys on the roof or the punishing heat (although that’s probably not helping); it’s because I can’t get home and it’s making me rabid.

My hotel in Cochin has air con and WiFi and we’re striking distance from the beach. How bad could it be? In any other situation I’d be relishing the excuse to set up exotic home but my other half has been looking after our 3-year-old daughter for the last 10 days. Let’s just say she hasn’t made that task very easy. And to add insult to injury, other half celebrates a very significant birthday, tomorrow (not allowed to mention incriminating numbers). Meanwhile, our daughter, having had just about enough of this single parent effort, has taken to walking around the house hugging a photo of me, crying and saying “I want my real mummy.”

Feeling good, then, over here. No heart-rending homesickness or creeping guilt whatsoever. Been attached to the computer for the last 48 hours refusing to believe I couldn’t get home but as of this morning, my scheduled flight time has officially passed and there’s nothing but “cancelled” stamped all over the airline’s webpage. Getting any information over the phone has proved harder than fending off the army of mosquitoes who seem to know you’re vulnerable once you’ve got a pen in one hand and a sweaty phone in the other. Our hotel is doing a roaring trade in plying overheated Europeans with cold beer.

This feeling of impotence is further compounded by stories of derring-do gracing the BBC website and such, from Brits who have buckled up and knuckled down and managed to get home by hire car, bike and container ship. Friends are being helpful, suggesting I hitch or find sea passage. Not sure if they realise that I’m in India rather than Italy. So anyway, I’ve looked into it and it goes something like this…

By rail: It’s once again possible, in theory, to travel between India and London by rail. In theory. Now that Bam, in southern Iran, has recovered from its own natural disaster that tore apart the city and its transport network (the enormous earthquake in 2003), this missing link in rail line traversing India, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey into Europe has been reinstated. Or at least I thought it was. Then a local agent here in Cochin tells me that, perhaps not surprisingly, the rail line crossing the India Pakistan border has been closed. Even if it was possible, with a bit of border hopping on foot/by bus, the journey would take around three weeks. Time spent trying to secure visas however, would be an entirely different story.

By ship: Plenty of ships leaving Mumbai. Not entirely sure installing a small blond girl on a container ship out of India’s most frenetic port would be entirely hassle free but hey, I’m game (not something I’ll be saying out loud once on board). Again, it would take an arduous two to three weeks but the route sounds pretty enticing: bye bye to Bombay, hello Arabian sea, then into the Red Sea, along the Suez Canal onto Egypt, then Malta, mainland Europe and… well, I guess I could walk from there. My insurance company has gone rather quiet on covering this commute.

By air: I can get as far as Athens with my airline. Then the Magic Bus?

Whatever happens I’m not going to make it home in time to celebrate my husband’s Big Significant Birthday with him. And that, to use volcanic parlance, blows.

Out of the way grandma, Malta is for clubbers

2010-01-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

Fix up, look sharp! It's almost a month into 2010; high time you started thinking about that VIP guest list in the sun. This year clubland serves up some surprises when it comes to hotspots and the biggest comes from a small Mediterranean island.

100 holiday ideas for 2010: Activity

2010-01-03T14:22:00.000-08:00

Ice hotels are so last decade. The accommodation with real cool factor right now is a "snow hole". At Loch Torridon, in the Scottish Highlands, you can build one yourself with a little help from winter mountain guide Chris Wilson, who runs these overnight stays in conjunction with nearby Torridon Hotel (prideofbritainhotels.com).

100 holiday ideas for 2010: Trends

2010-01-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

We'll still be spending on travel in 2010, albeit carefully, demanding more in every way for our budget. According to a recent report by Tourism Intelligence (tourism-intelligence.com), price-savvy Brits are leading the world in seeking the most cost-effective holidays.

Stay the night: Hotel Le Bleu, Brooklyn

2009-11-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

Go over the Brooklyn Bridge for luxury lodgings

From grim battleground to sparkling playground

2009-11-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

Mozambique has survived a bleak past to become a hot destination for the well-heeled, says Sarah Barrell.

Québec's unusual great outdoors

2009-08-16T14:05:00.001-07:00

Québec is famous for its great outdoors. But it is also home to an unusual wildlife experience, run by Zoo Sauvage by Lac Saint Jean. Sarah Barrell explains.

Summer on the beach: the Italian Riviera

2009-07-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's got glitz, it's got glamour, and it's got some of the best seafood you'll taste in the whole of Italy. Sarah Barrell reveals how to get the best out of a holiday in Liguria

24-Hour Room Service: SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, US

2009-06-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise that the wild and whimsical Phillippe Starck is behind the design of Beverly Hills' newest tourist address.

Put a smile on your face. Visit this American town

2009-05-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Ojai, just outside Los Angeles, is California's own 'Shangri-La'. Soon British holidaymakers will be seeking out its rejuvenating powers, writes Sarah Barrell

Ditch the clutch bag, the latest accessory is your own hotel

2009-04-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

The creative director of Diesel is the latest fashion designer to open a resort. What's the attraction, asks Sarah Barrell

Stay The Night: Montage Beverly Hills, Los Angeles

2009-04-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

The first hotel to be built from the ground up in Beverly Hills for almost 20 years, the Montage, which opened in November, is already positioning itself as a Hollywood grand dame.

The Big Question: How did the Rio Carnival become the biggest extravaganza in the world?

2009-02-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Why are we asking this now? Because the annual Rio de Janeiro carnival – Carnaval, as it known locally – begins today, a dazzling, extravagantly over-the-top celebration of life that draws millions of people on to the streets of the Brazilian city.

It's peaceful here on top of the world: Ladakh 'Little Tibet'

2008-11-02T05:29:00.000-08:00

Ladakh, known as 'Little Tibet', is a bastion of Buddhist calm in a wild and remote region. Sarah Barrell gets a taste of village life in the Himalayas.

City slicker: A guide to Genoa

2008-10-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

A new film is about to put this Italian port in the spotlight. Sarah Barrell offers a guide to the sights for new, and returning visitors.

Stay the night: The Randolph, Oxford

2008-10-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

A great opportunity has been missed in the recent makeover of Oxford's most venerable hotel, says Sarah Barrell.

The rise of the urban eco-hotel

2008-09-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

Big chains and bijou boutiques across the world are saving energy without saving on style. Sarah Barrell reports on a rural idea taking root in the city.

Stay The Night: Thalassa, Paphos

2008-08-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

Sun, spa and an ancient Cypriot ruin all to yourself.

Hotel Of The Week: San Domenico House, London

2008-07-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

The little Chelsea hotel with big aspirations.

Even at the age of 400, Quebec's still young at heart

2008-07-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

Celebrated as an olde worlde outpost of France, this city is far more modern than it seems at first glance, says Sarah Barrell.

Times are tight – but there’s always cash for a holiday

2008-07-06T05:11:00.000-07:00

There may be trouble ahead but they aren't keeping holiday-makers at home. In fact, the travel business is reporting continuing growth. Sarah Barrell explains.

Well and truly hidden Oman

2008-06-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

Zighy Bay is the Oman's latest luxury offering. But, asks Sarah Barrell, will guests get any sense of the country it's in?

DJ Spoony: A day on the fairways, a night on the tiles

2008-06-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

As the US Open tees off this week, DJ Spoony explains why his love of golf has given him a passion for travelling.

Independent on Sunday travel section

Does Cyprus know where to draw the line?

2008-05-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

The recent election of a president on an election ticket could herald a new era of tourism for the island, says Sarah Barrell

Independent on Sunday travel section

Home from Home?

2008-05-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Despite historic British rule, Cyprus offers a surprisingly authentic experience away from the madding crowds for those who seek it, discovers Sarah Barrell

ABTA Magazine, May issue (pages 80-86)